428 RETURN TO NEW YORK. Book II. 
I was hailed by my name immediately as I went out, and 
found myself greeted by one of my two companions on my 
journey from San Juan de Nicaragua to Granada, who had 
settled here. Mr. S. had my luggage fetched from the 
hotel, and I remained his guest, enjoying the kindest 
hospitality. 
After a few days I took the steamer which plies regularly 
from hence to New Orleans. The passage deserves no 
farther remark, than that I found myself in the society of 
several officers belonging to the army of the United States, 
whose refinement of manners was as agreeable as the interest 
they took in scientific subjects. 
I was a stranger to New Orleans, which, in so many 
respects, is a peculiarly interesting town, and I would gladly 
have remained some weeks there ; but the time of the year 
was unfavourable. The yellow fever, which committed 
such ravages in the summer of 1853, had just broken out; 
every one who could was hastening to leave the town, and 
I therefore determined to leave it the next day by the 
river steamer to St. Louis. We had, as might be ex- 
pected, the fever on board, but, as far as was known, only 
one death occurred. 
I remained two days at St. Louis, which I spent princi- 
pally with one who had been my playfellow in childhood, 
and who, like me, had been led into the " far west " regions 
of America. Both on the Rio Grande and in the State of 
Chihuahua I had constantly followed the steps of Dr. 
Wislizenus. 
The rest of my journey to New York I accomplished 
by the railroad, which from St. Louis, south of the great 
Lakes, runs directly across the country, and then from 
Albany along the Hudson Eiver. I arrived after an 
absence of rather more than thirteen months. 
